‘I would hope that they would not then forward it on to their friends because then they become guilty also of distribution of child pornography, whether they know that or not,’ Williams-Ortery said.

If convicted, the girl will mostly likely have to attend a court-mandated sexting education program and will avoid having to register as a sex offender. There is a chance, however, that she could be sent to jail and that could be a costly oversight (if that is what it was?) given that the mandatory minimumin the U.S. for distributing child pornography is five years.

At present it is not entirely understood why authorities have chosen to take such a literal meaning to a law whose intent was never to make or distribute child porn in the first place, save for their dislike of half naked images of young women which has these days has become the norm on social media.

Then again this may the new way albeit disquieting way of exploring one’s own sexuality?

In lieu of the harsh laws the dailydot goes on to note the following: Due to the harsh penalties of child pornography laws, as well as the youth of the defendants, many critics have argued that prosecuting minors for sexting is an “overzealous and inappropriate application of the criminal law,” as one civil rights attorney in Harrisburg Pa., where eight middle and high school students were charged with child porn possession last year, puts it. Advocates for stringent child pornography laws argue that prosecuting minors acts as a deterrent for other kids to avoid sexting themselves.

Last month, a Canadian teenager was convicted of child pornography possessionand distribution after posting a nude photo of her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend on Facebook, and a Halifax 14-year-old was arrested last year for posting a video of himself having (consensual) sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

And then there was this comment on the web that made me wonder:

If the point of the child porn law is to prevent the victimization of children by those who would exploit them, how can a child who voluntarily chooses to send nakey pics of herself be prosecuted for victimizing herself?

Good! Teens have been spreading things like this for too long! They spread nudes of themselves without trouble and people who download it get the shit. Of course, I’m not pro child pornography or people who download it. But, there’d be a lot less in this world if teens would stop taking these pictures. It’s only stimulating trouble!

About

I think the idea to start “Scallywag and Vagabond.” (SCV) originates from my myriad background and the many years I have spent in preferred cafes and brasseries extolling the virtues and subtle intricacies of ‘being’ as the Beaujolais ran, the cigarette wafted and the gentleman to my side pontificated while spraying himself with a deftly tied cravat and sun crested idolatry.’

I grew up in Australia where as a young man one was obliged to become a hero of sorts. A master swimmer, fighter of causes, ideals and disheveled denizen of aesthetics, and more often a carefree ‘larrikin’ who would occasionally poke his sun bronzed nose at authority and convention Read More